Near broke Japanese stall owner apologises for putting less filling in taiyaki pastries; supporters say no filling is ok

Japan ― An honest taiyaki (fish-shaped hotcakes filled with custard or anko sweet bean paste) stall owner apologised for reducing the anko filling on his product after realising that he would soon go bankrupt.

Taiyaki is a Japanese delicacy that is especially popular during the colder spring, autumn or winter months.

To make ends meet amid the scorching summer months and Covid-19 travel restrictions, the owner of Taiyaki no Bunfukuya in Gyoda City, Saitama Prefecture, decided to put more anko in his taiyaki to make up for the price increase.

The owner, Junya Hashimoto, continuously wondered if he was putting enough filling to satisfy customers and proceeded to add more.

Soon he realised he was selling at a loss, reported SoraNews24 on Sept 20.

Mr Hashimoto did not want to increase the price again, so he had no choice but to reduce the anko filling.

He issued a public apology on Twitter for the decision.

行田のたいやき屋で御座います。みんな、すまねえ！！
どうか、リツイートにチカラをかしてください(>_<) pic.twitter.com/oNEYqrsU7L

— たいやきの分福屋（行田市） (@tenjingouitsu) August 24, 2021

“Honestly speaking, I used to put a lot of anko inside, but there was no profit from it. I will reduce the amount of anko because the store is about to go broke. Please forgive me,” the sign reads.

The tweet blew up, with over 27,000 retweets and 65,000 likes.

Many noted that the shop’s anko filling uses high-quality red beans. Furthermore, the price of the ingredient has also increased.

“Even if there’s minimal red bean paste, it will be full of charm,” said a Twitter user.

“Heck, take out all the beans. I’ll still eat,” said another account.

One had a witty suggestion of selling the taiyaki as a set of five, and only one has the anko filling. “Make it like a game,” the Twitter user suggested.

Netizens noted that they already liked the cake part while others marked the shop on their map apps for a future visit.

Mr Hashimoto’s shop was recently featured in local news, noting customers rushed to buy taiyaki and support the over honest owner. /TISG

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